The Other Me

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter 13

“How could you!” I shrieked, whilst attempting to yank out a chunk of Rosaline’s hair. Well, she started it. How else are you supposed to react when someone starts biting your elbow? Maybe I had wrestled savagely her on top of her first. But still.

“It. Was. Funny.” She howled in pain, but not enough to prevent her from digging her pointed nails into my arm. I then wrenched my arm away from her and dug my knee into her abdomen.

“It so was not!” I bellowed back. She retaliated by digging her chin into my back. Such a sneaky move.

“You are so pathetic!” Rosaline sneered as I squealed and tried to fidget away from her.

I was about to release my fist into her face, when I abruptly remembered the situation we were in. Tomorrow, we both had to prevent a mass murder and this childish fight wasn’t getting us anywhere. Plus, my back suddenly really ached, and I wasn’t sure I could take anymore of Rosaline’s abuse.

 I rose and backed away from her hurriedly. I was going to fight back and stand up to her properly. But this time, only using my voice. This way, I knew I had a better chance of getting through to her.

“Just when I thought I could understand you, when you started explaining things to me; you suddenly revert back to being bitchy! What is the matter with you?” I screeched hysterically. I didn’t have to worry about being quiet, since neither of my parents were here.

“You have such a nerve,” snarled Rosaline. “All I was trying to do was be nice to your Mum and help her out –“

“That’s the biggest load of crap I’ve ever heard!” I cried shrilly. “Ever since you got here, you’ve been on my back, making my life hell! It’s like… It’s like you hate me! Is that it? Do you hate me?”

“You are such a child,” she snorted. “Shouting out silly accusations…”

“A child!” I let out a fake laugh. “That’s rich! I’m not the one who makes flatulent noises from underneath the bed. You didn’t even deny that you hated me. Well do you know what? I hate you too! Yes I really do! After tomorrow, when we have stopped the explosion; I want nothing to do with you. You can get lost and scrounge off someone else. I don’t care!” I glared at Rosaline, more than I had ever glared at anyone in my entire life. I wanted her to hurt as much as she was hurting me.  

“You know how sad this is,” I continued bitterly. “You are me. I am going to be you in nine years. And I hate you. You are the most… awful, nasty person I have ever met. And I’m supposed to be that…”

“Do you want to know why I hate you?” Rosaline said suddenly. I glanced up at her properly. Her voice had changed. There was a wobble, a tremble to it.

“You keep saying that we are the same person; that you are going to be me. And that pisses me off, because we are completely different! You are never going to be me! You are never going to go through what I did. And shall I tell you why?

“ Because you are the girl who is going to have it all fine, dandy and perfect for the rest of your life. But I was the one who stepped out in front of the car. I was the one who killed the Barratt’s. I was the one whose life was completely ruined and would be over-run with the torment of guilt. I was the one who had to go to court, had to go to school and had to live in a world where everybody hated me because I killed the school principal, because I was too stupid to check the road before I crossed.” Rosaline was sobbing now, crying harder than I had ever seen.

My mouth hung open. This had never occurred to me… I’d never realised…

“Barratts?” This was the only word I could squeeze out.